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22-Jun-2001 -- Coming from High Tatras and
49N 19E on the day before we went to the
Low Tatras Mountains. We turned off at the town of
Liptovský Hrádok in direction south (SS72). At Červený Kút we left the main road to the east, to Čierny Váh (~13 km), a small village at the east end of the Čierny Váh (Black Váh) dam.

We entered Low Tatras National Park trough its open gate (pic #2). First we missed the road to the Benkovský River and drove along the Ipoltica River (pic #3). After some kilometers we met a group of state forest workers (pic #4). One of them spoke a little German and he was very friendly besides our prohibited entry into the park. We as close as 2.6 km to the confluence and then we realized that we were wrong.

We returned to the entry gate and from there we turned left toward the Benkovský River (pic #2 – lower part). After some kilometers we had to go right into Benkovský valley. Since the road is at a higher altitude it is difficult to locate it. This road is of gravel type and after some kilometers we stopped at a group of huts (pic #5).

I knew that I would have to climb up about 100 m as per my GPS reading (856 m) and the respective confluence data (932 m). This is a very steep forest with nasty undergrowth like thorns and nettles. At least I realized that the confluence is close to the top of the mountainous ridge, in about 1042 m according to the GPS. Handicapped by nettles, the steep terrain and the high trees I could not get a ZERO reading. Nevertheless an ever-increasing number of flies tortured me and even used the camera’s lens as landing place.

To get downhill to the car I mainly used game tracks. Back to the car my fathers told me that forest officials interrogated them about their intension. The nature of our plans was difficult to explain especially without having a real common language. At the end, I was told they gave up and left them.

We left the National Park without any other official contacts and headed to the south, touring trough the beautiful mountains of the Low Tatras (pic #7). We proceeded to the Pannonian Lowlands, towards
48N 18E.